Attachment lock for industrial trucks



Jan. 5, 1954 Filed Sept. 12, 1950 D- WIGHT, JR

ATTACHMENT LOCK FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

V INVENTOR. DELANO WIGHT JR.

ATTYS.

Jan. 5, 1954 D. WIGHT, JR 2,665,021

ATTACHMENT LOCK FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS I Filed Sept. 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet? INI ENTOR.

Patented Jan. 5, 1954 INDUSTIHAL Delano Wight, ha, Battle Green ng 911,, qsgigggpq w 'Glarkiqinipm'ent eqmp'ijmy; Bgc'nanan Michl, a. corporation ofiMiphigan manna 9BFQR FF 2, 12 .9, 52. 1?! 3 18 9x 11 5. Glaims. (c1. zm-ego) industrial ct'd"t'o a ,n n. sw the lciadkilppgrting "a'n i'elge' an industrial the present, time, in the mater-12,1 handling field; it is the general pfztbtietg'gfieb'uie maaehgagmg, devices t6" the load sjnpporting' 'airi' iage bf anfinqu trigf trnqk nielns of bolts. Thug, vfvlnere $e'i/ra1 fbrms f loa'tf engag'ing 'devices are tQb sedintrefiangeabl witl 'sirigle industria -1 ti ck, cbnsiderame time 1s consuined; wdrker, in fiistiiempving" thebelt'ejwhiich seure one dev'jqe to' the 19nd Supporting; carriage and then in fastening thelbielt's n seii fndgntirigj' another de vieetbtn'e'lqad s'nppdpt'ng c'gui'riagie.

'It is an objet 13f my pnese'nt invention t provjdie at lnechanisimigi self-leek load engaging de iswe to th qe ls mft fig a r ese an ndustrial-truck- M n .e 7

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eral w, wh hha anpainoidur ivew 61S tile fdrwai'd end thereof, is a b t t 11y vg 5. v a mir 0f al y; zitenine meet: which 1 fixed, Qnqen en mel member? 3;, whiten are R te b k'qf he, e ie the wer nds f slidably mounted a pair of inner channel members l4. The upper ends of the outer fixed channel members l3 are interconnected by a horizontal U-shaped brace member [5. The inner slidable channel members [4 are interconnected, adjacent their upper ends, by means of a crosshead l6 which carries a pair of horizontally spaced rotatable sprocket gears IT. A pair of chains I8 are trained over the sprocket gears I1 and are suitably fixed at their one ends to the outer fixed channel members l3. The other ends of the chains [8 are suitably secured to a load supporting carriage l9, which is mounted for sliding movement within the inner channel members H. A substantially vertically extending hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly, indicated general- 1y by the reference numeral 20, is disposed intermediate of the inner channel members [4. The hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly comprises a cylinder 2| which is fixed at its lower end to the main frame of the industrial truck ID. The hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 20 also comprises a piston rod 22, which at its outer upper end has connection to the aforementioned crosshead l6 interconnecting the inner channel members l4.

When fluid under pressure is admitted to the lower end of the cylinder 2 l the piston rod 22, together with the crosshead I6 and sprocket gears H, are extended upwardly. Upward movement of the sprocket gears l1 causes the ends of the chains [8, which are secured to the load supporting carriage I9, to be moved upwardly with the load supporting carriage l9.

Suitably secured to the forward vertical surface of the load supporting carriage l9 are a pair of vertically spaced transversely extending frame members 23 and 24. As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, a pair of vertically extending bracket members 3| and 32 are suitably secured, at their lower ends, as by welding, to the ends of the upper transverse frame member 23. Secured to the upper edge of the upper transverse frame member 23, intermediate of the ends thereof, is the lower end of a vertically extending bracket member 33. Journaled in horizontally aligned openings formed in the bracket members 3!, 32, and 33 is a shaft 34. Fixed to the shaft 34, adjacent the ends thereof, are the one ends of a pair of crank arms 35 and 36. Also fixed to the shaft 34, closely adjacent the crank arm 36, is a crank arm or foot lever 31. The crank arm 31, as shown in Figure l, is adapted to extend rearwardly toward the operators seat 7. A lever 38 .is fixed at one end to the shaft 34, adjacent bracket 3|, and at its other end has a laterally projecting pin 39 secured therein. A spring 40 is fixed at its one end to the pin 39 and at its other end is fixed to a pin 4| which is mounted in an opening formed in the vertically extending bracket member 3|. The spring 40 is provided for normally biasing the pair of crank arms 35 and 36 to a substantially vertical position and the rearwardly extending crank arm 31 to a substantially horizontal position. A laterally extending pin member 42 is inserted in an opening formed in the vertically extendingbracket member 3| and the pin .42, at its outer end, provides a stop for the lever 38. i I

I shall now describe one form of load supporting means which is adapted particularly for use with the aforedescribed locking mechanism of my present invention. The load supporting means 43 comprises a pair of horizontally spaced L-shaped fork "frames 44.

The upper and lower portions of the vertical legs of the fork frames 44 are interconnected by horizontal brace members 45. Suitably secured, as by welding, to the rear surfaces of the fork frames 44, adjacent the upper ends thereof, are laterally extending horizontal flange members 46 which are formed with-tongue portions 41. Also secured to the rear surfaces of the vertical legs of the fork frames 44, intermediate of the ends thereof, are flange members 48 which are formed with tongue portions 49.

The lower surfaces of the flange members 46 are adapted to be disposed in engagement with the upperedges of the upper transverse frame member 23, while the tongue portions 41 of the flange members 46 are adapted to be disposed in engagement with the rear surface of the upper transverse frame member 23. The lower surfaces of the flange members 48 are adapted to be disposed in engagement with the upper edge of the lower transverse frame member 24, while the tongue portions 49 of the brackets 48 are adapted to be disposed in engagement with the rear surface of the transverse frame member 24.

I shall now describe, in connection with the drawings, the operation of the device of my present invention. When it is desired to secure load supporting means, such as that shown at 43, to the load supporting carriage IQ of the industrial truck 10, the truck is maneuvered so that the flange members 46 and 48 are substantially aligned with the upper edges of the transverse frame members 23 and 24, respectively. The

ruck it is then edged forwardly until the tongue portions 47 and 49 of the flange members 46 and 4'! have cleared the upper edges of the frame members 23 and 24. During this forward movement, the forward edges of the flange member 46 engage the forward edges of the pair of crank arms 35 and 36, at their lower ends, causing the latter to rotate toward the truck, as viewed in Figure l. The load supporting carriage i9 is then raised through the chains 18, by means of the hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 20, until the upper edges of the frame members 23 and 24 engage the lower edges of the flange members 46 and 48, respectively, and the rear surfaces of the frame members 23 and 24 engage the tongue portions 4'! and 49 of the flange members 46 and 48, respectively. When the flange members 46 and 48 have thus been positioned, the pair of crank arms 35 and 36 are caused to rotate back to their normal vertical position by means of the spring 48, with the lower ends of the crank arms 35 and 36 being disposed in engagement with the upper edges of the flange members 46. The load supportingmeans 43 is thus securely locked to the load supporting carriage I9 and the truck may be then utilized for engaging a load.

The load supporting means 43 may be released from engagement with the load supporting carriage 19 by the operator of the truck III, while remaining in the operator's seat 1. The operator need only raise the outer end of the crank arm or foot lever 31 with his foot, which causes rotation of the shaft 34. Rotation of the shaft 34 causes the lower ends of the pair of crank arms 35 and 36 to rotate away from engagement, with the upper edges of, the flange members 46. Y The load supporting carriage l9 may then be lowered with: in the mast of the truck it until the tongueporg tions 41 and 49 of the flange members 46 and", respectively, are disengaged from contact with the rear surfaces of the frame members 23 d 24. The truck It may then be backed away,

While I have illustrated and described a speeific form of load supporting means, it will be realized that the device of my present invent on is adapted to lock other forms of load supporting or engaging devices to the load supporting carriage of an industrial truck.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be a preferred embodiment of my present invention, it will be understood that various rearrangements and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my present invention.

I claim:

1. For use with an industrial truck having a substantially vertically movable load supporting carriage, the combination of a frame member adapted to be secured to the load supporting car riage transversely thereof, load supporting means including horizontal flange means adapted to be disposed in engagement with the upper edge of said frame member, a rotatable shaft vertically spaced above said frame member and carried by the latter, a crank arm fixed at one end to said shaft and at the other end being adapted to engage said flange means for locking the latter to said frame member, means carried by said frame member for rotating said shaft whereby said crank arm is disengaged from said flange means permitting said load supporting means to be freed from said frame member by an operator on the truck lowering the load supporting carriage until the load supportin means is disposed in engagement with the ground and then backing away the truck, and said means being manually operable by an operator seated on the truck.

2. For use with an industrial truck having an operators seat, and a substantially vertically movable load supporting carriage, the combination of a frame member adapted to be secured to the load supporting carriage transversely thereof, load supporting means including horizontal flange means adapted to be disposed in engagement with the upper edge of said frame member, a rotatable shaft vertically spaced above said frame member and carried by the latter, a first crank arm fixed at one end to said shaft and at the other end being adapted to engage said flange means for looking the latter to said frame member, a second crank arm fixed at one end to said shaft and normally extending rearwardly therefrom toward the operators seat, and said second crank arm at the other end thereof being adapted to be engaged by the foot of an operator seated on the truck for effecting rotation of the latter together with said shaft and said first crank arm whereby said first crank arm is disengaged from said flange means.

3. The combination of claim 2 characterized by the provision of means between said shaft and said frame member for normally biasing said first crank arm into engagement with said flange means.

4. For use with an industrial truck having an operators seat and a substantially vertically movable load supporting carriage, the combination of a frame member adapted to be secured to the load supporting carriage transversely thereof, detachable load supporting means including horizontal flange means adapted to be disposed in engagement with the upper edge of said frame member, a rotatable shaft vertically spaced above said frame member and carried by the latter, a first normally downwardly extending crank arm fixed at one end to said shaft and at the other end being adapted to engage said flange means for locking the latter to said frame member, a second crank arm fixed at one end to said shaft and normally extending rearwardly therefrom toward the operators seat, and said second crank arm at the other end thereof being adapted to be manually actuated by an operator on the truck for effecting rotation of said second crank arm together with said shaft and said first crank arm whereby said first crank arm is disengaged from said flange means permitting said load supporting means to be freed from said frame member by the operator on the truck lowering the load supporting carriage until the load supporting means is disposed in engagement with the ground and then backing away the truck.

5. For use with an industrial truck having an operators seat and a substantially vertically movable load supporting carriage, the combination of a pair of vertically spaced frame members adapted to be secured to the load supporting carriage transversely thereof, detachable load supporting means including vertically spaced horizontal flange means engageable with the upper edges of said frame members, a rotatable shaft vertically spaced above. the upper frame member and carried by the latter, a first normally downwardly extending crank arm fixed at one end to said shaft and at the other end being adapted to engage the upper flange means for locking the latter to the associated frame member, a second crank arm fixed at one end to said shaft and normally extending rearwardly therefrom toward the operators seat, and said second crank arm at the other end thereof being adapted to be manually actuated by an operator on the truck for effecting rotation of said second crank arm together with said shaft and said first crank arm whereby said first crank arm is disengaged from said upper flange means permitting the flange means to be freed from said frame members by the operator on the truck lowering the load supporting carriage until the load supportmg means is disposed in engagement with the ground and then backing away the truck.

DELANO NIGHT, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Numb er 

